Manager Spotlight // Jay Steele

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‘Manager Spotlight’ is a recurring feature on Rollo & Grady in which we speak with rising stars in the music management business. This week we caught up with Jay Steele, Director of Shipping and Receiving for New West Records in Athens, Georgia, and manager of Futurebirds.

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Image – Alyssa DeHayes

R&G: How did you get your start in the music business?

Jay: I started out interning at American Songwriter Magazine in Nashville. I pretended I knew about music and journalism and eventually secured a regular gig writing for the magazine. After deciding that I didn’t see myself as a full-time music journalist, I set about getting involved in as many music industry outlets as I possibly could. I hit the road with the Ice Cream Man and interned at Merge Records and the Progressive Global Agency. I then went on tour with Dead Confederate. I also worked as a doorman at Local 506 in Chapel Hill. I now work in Athens, GA, at New West Records and manage Futurebirds.

R&G: What advice would you give to aspiring managers?

Jay: Find a band that you really care about and really believe in. This is obviously very much easier said than done, but it’s important. Focus your efforts on one band. If in the beginning you spread yourself too thin, you won’t be nearly as effective. Try to learn as much as you possibly can about the industry before you start managing. There will still be a lot that you learn on the fly, but it helps to have some idea of what you are doing before you tell a band you will help them out. I suggest finding a mentor. It’s important to create strong relationships with other industry folks. Also, don’t give up if you lose an artist or potential artist. The first artist I tried to manage was Chaz Bundick aka Toro Y Moi. That was back in 2006 when no one knew who he was and I had no idea what I was doing. We were very close to working together before he realized I was totally clueless at the time. Needless to say it worked out for him without me, and I’m more than happy with my current situation.

R&G: If I had known then what I know now, I would have….

Jay: …studied more in college so I could have gotten into the business school at UNC and pursued a career in finance. Right. I would have tried to learn more about the nuts and bolts and day to day operations a manager deals with in the music industry. Most everyone can think of the big picture ideas; if you slack on the details the big picture ideas will never turn out exactly as planned. Trust me: I’ve learned this the hard way on a couple of occasions. You’ve got to know how to lay the foundation and it’s a notion that I am still figuring out on the fly.

R&G: How important are social media sites like Myspace, Facebook, Twitter and music blogs in promoting your acts?

Jay: I think Twitter and Facebook are the most important social networking sites now. They are a great way to maintain the attention of your fans. Artistdata is an awesome site to help you keep all of your social networking outlets on the same page. In my opinion, MySpace has lost a lot of steam. Someone just helped me set up our Bandpage feature on Facebook. It’s just one of many applications that I think could spell the end for MySpace Music.

Music blogs are obviously tremendously important. Blogs like Aquarium Drunkard, Rollo & Grady, HearYa and Harmon Drive have championed Futurebirds since the early days, providing the band with really great exposure. After they started writing about the EP, the Bandcamp downloads and sales jumped significantly.

R&G: Most interesting or humorous situation you’ve dealt with as a manager?

Jay: Hard to say. Nine shows in four days during the band’s first trip to SXSW was a test. There were more than a few adverse situations that the dudes handled very well. The house party they played the last night is a perfect example. The cops showed up as the second band finished playing outside and told us to shut it down. It was Futurebirds’ ninth show in four days. The band was exhausted and we could’ve very easily packed up and headed home. Instead, we cleaned out a twelve by twelve breakfast room and set the band up. There were probably fifty people in this tiny house. People were watching from the kitchen and the living room. There was barely space to breathe. The only light came from a colored projector and the occasional camera flash. No one there will ever forget that show. Folks were blown away.

R&G: Blackberry or iPhone?

Jay: Right now I’ve got a flip phone. The front screen is cracked. Verizon doesn’t support the iPhone. I’m thinking about bringing back Morse code.

MP3: Futurebirds – Megachills
MP3: Futurebirds – Johnny Utah
MP3: Futurebirds – Dirty D


Previous Manager Profiles:
Jody White
Dawson Morris
Scottie Diablo
John Turner



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